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Writers harness their talents to explore the world and its inhabitants, often delving into the mysteries of life and death. Many fiction authors have crafted extraordinary deaths for their characters, but reality can be even more peculiar. While researching for my book Strange Ways to Die in History, I discovered that numerous authors themselves met with unusual and often darkly humorous fates.
Sadly, these writers were not present to chronicle their own peculiar deaths.
10. Aeschylus
Aeschylus, one of ancient Athens' most renowned playwrights, earned numerous accolades for his tragedies during the city's festivals. His works were quoted and revered as exemplary models of dignified drama for centuries. However, his own death was far from dignified.
Ancient historians recount that Aeschylus's final plays failed to win the favor of the Athenian audience. Disheartened by their lack of appreciation, the celebrated playwright departed Athens and settled in a Greek colony in Sicily. It was there that his destiny caught up with him in an unexpected manner.
A prophecy had warned Aeschylus that a house would collapse on him on a specific day. To avoid this fate, he chose to spend the entire day outdoors, reasoning that no house could fall on him if he wasn’t inside one. However, a passing eagle had other plans. In that region, eagles often carry tortoises high into the air and drop them onto rocks to crack their shells. This particular eagle mistook Aeschylus's bald head for a rock and dropped the tortoise, which struck and killed him. Ironically, it was the tortoise’s shell—not a house—that he should have feared.
9. Georgi Markov
In 1978, Georgi Markov was walking to work in London when he felt a sharp jab in the back of his thigh. Turning around, he saw a man who had dropped his umbrella. The man apologized and quickly left in a taxi. Markov went about his day, though he mentioned the incident to his colleagues due to the lingering pain and a growing lump on his leg. Unbeknownst to him, he had already been fatally targeted.
Markov had moved to London after becoming an anti-communist dissident, drawing suspicion from the Bulgarian government. When he refused to return to Bulgaria, his books were banned, and he was effectively erased from public recognition. However, the Bulgarian secret service still saw him as a threat. Markov had begun collaborating with the BBC, producing more anti-communist content, prompting the authorities to take drastic measures to silence him.
Four days after the umbrella incident, Markov succumbed to his injuries. An autopsy revealed a tiny platinum pellet, no larger than a pinhead, lodged at the site of the jab. The pellet contained two small holes filled with ricin, a lethal poison. Investigators concluded that an umbrella-tipped gun had been used to inject the pellet into Markov. Despite the evidence, no one was ever prosecuted for his murder.
8. Thomas Urquhart
Sir Thomas Urquhart stands as one of the most eccentric figures in Scottish literary history. Often regarded as either a genius or a madman, his works included epigrams, a nonsensical trigonometry method, a genealogy tracing back to the Garden of Eden, and a constructed language he deemed flawless. Many of these writings were likely satirical, as they frequently targeted his adversaries and numerous creditors.
Urquhart's fortunes took a turn when he joined Charles II at the Battle of Worcester in 1651, aiming to restore the monarch to the English throne. The royal forces were defeated, and Urquhart was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Legend has it that upon hearing of Charles II's restoration in 1660, Sir Thomas was so overcome with joy that he died from an uncontrollable fit of laughter.
7. Saki
Hector Hugo Munro, famously known by his pseudonym Saki, ranks among the finest short story writers of the early 20th century. His clever narratives are masterpieces, capturing the essence of the Edwardian era in just a few pages and using sharp wit to expose the era's many hypocrisies.
At the outbreak of World War I, Munro enlisted in the army despite being overage. He declined an officer’s commission, preferring to fight on the front lines. It was there, in the trenches, that he met his fate. A superstition among soldiers warned against lighting three cigarettes with the same match, as it was believed to attract sniper fire, with the third smoker being the target.
Ironically, it was a cigarette that led to his demise. One night, while on duty, Munro spotted a soldier smoking openly and shouted, “Put that bloody cigarette out!” At that very moment, a sniper’s bullet struck him, killing him instantly. A grim reminder that smoking can indeed be hazardous to one’s health.
6. Molière
Molière, the 17th-century French playwright, left such a profound impact that the French language is often referred to as the language of Molière. His comedies remain staples of theatrical performances, critiquing both the society of his time and universal human flaws. While his play Tartuffe faced opposition from the Catholic Church for its portrayal of religious hypocrisy, the royal family’s admiration ensured Molière’s continued success on stage.
In his later years, Molière's health deteriorated due to tuberculosis, yet he chose to star in his latest play, The Imaginary Invalid, which centered on a hypochondriac convinced of his own illnesses. Molière frequently poked fun at his own literary endeavors. In this production, he portrayed a character who declared, ‘Your Molière’s an insolent man… If I were a doctor, I’d get my revenge… when he fell ill, I’d leave him to perish without aid. I’d say: ‘Go on, drop dead!’
During the fourth performance, Molière coughed up blood and collapsed on stage but insisted on completing the show. Sadly, the strain proved too great, and he passed away a few hours later. Molière’s illness was tragically real, not imagined.
5. Boethius
Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, known simply as Boethius, was a writer, philosopher, and statesman in 6th-century Rome, following the fall of the Western Roman Empire. He held a prominent position under the Ostrogothic rulers of Italy, but his rise to power came with great risk. In the volatile political climate of the time, a fall from grace often meant a fatal plunge.
Boethius was charged with treason for allegedly conspiring with the Eastern Roman Emperor in Constantinople. Imprisoned, he devoted his time to writing, producing The Consolation of Philosophy, a work exploring how philosophers should confront adversity. Soon, Boethius would face the ultimate test of his own philosophical principles.
While it is certain that Boethius was executed, the specifics of his death vary across accounts. Some claim he was beheaded, while others assert he was hanged. The most gruesome version describes a rope tied around his skull and twisted until his eyes were forced out of their sockets. According to this account, he was then clubbed to death as an act of mercy.
4. Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Gogol, a renowned playwright, novelist, and short story master, captured the essence of 19th-century Russian society in works like “The Nose,” “Diary of a Madman,” and “The Overcoat.” His influence on later writers was profound, with one famously remarking, “We all emerged from beneath Gogol’s overcoat.”
Gogol’s novel Dead Souls solidified his literary legacy, though it was only the first part of a planned magnum opus. Tragically, he fell under the sway of a rigid priest named Matvei Konstantinovsky, who persuaded him that fiction was the work of the Devil. Gogol subsequently burned the manuscript for the second part of Dead Souls.
Gogol then began fasting in preparation for a religious festival, severely damaging his health. Doctors attempting to treat him applied leeches to his nose, submerged him in scalding baths, and doused him with ice water. Unsurprisingly, these methods failed to heal him, and he died shortly afterward.
3. Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, who held the position of Lord High Chancellor under King James I in the 17th century, is more celebrated for his philosophical contributions that laid the groundwork for the scientific revolution. He championed the idea that theories must be validated through experimentation, but ironically, it was an experiment that led to his demise.
During a snowy ride, Bacon and a companion debated how to preserve food for extended periods. Convinced that cold could be the solution, Bacon hurriedly purchased a chicken and packed it with snow. He later claimed the experiment was a resounding success—a declaration he made from his deathbed in a dictated letter.
Bacon contracted a severe chill from his efforts, and his early biographers attributed his subsequent death to pneumonia. His recovery was further hindered by being placed in a cold, damp bed. Legend has it that the ghost of the chicken still haunts the location of this pioneering frozen food experiment.
2. Yukio Mishima
Yukio Mishima led a multifaceted life, earning a Nobel Prize nomination for his novels while also excelling as a playwright, poet, actor, model, and founder of the Shield Society, a nationalist militia. It was this last role that ultimately led to his death.
The Shield Society was established in 1968 as Mishima grew increasingly concerned about the rise of left-wing ideologies in Japan. He assembled a group of nationalists and anti-communists, subjecting them to rigorous physical training to build their strength. Interestingly, the group was permitted to train alongside members of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.
In 1970, Mishima and four Shield Society members seized control of a military base, restraining its commander. Mishima then addressed the soldiers from a balcony, hoping to inspire a coup that would restore the emperor’s authority. Instead of rallying behind him, the soldiers mocked his speech. Mishima retreated inside, remarking, “I don’t think they heard me.”
Following this, Mishima performed seppuku, a ritual suicide by disembowelment. As per tradition, a second was tasked with beheading him, but the initial attempts failed, requiring another individual to complete the act.
1. Margaret Wise Brown
The stories we encounter in childhood often leave a lasting impression. Margaret Wise Brown influenced countless lives through her extensive collection of over a hundred books, including timeless favorites such as Goodbye Moon and The Runaway Bunny.
Tragically, Brown’s life came to a sudden and dramatic end at the age of 42. While traveling through Europe, she developed appendicitis and underwent surgery. During her recovery, she attempted to demonstrate her improved health to a nun caring for her by performing a high kick. This action, however, dislodged a blood clot that traveled to her heart, resulting in her untimely death.
